Alright so the quigley buildup is about to begin...i'm basically looking to make this into something similar to what sportsmobile produces. I want it to be 4 season capable so i can be camped comfortably on the beach or at a ski resort :1888fbbd:
This is a bit long but i'm definitely looking for peoples opinions...input is much appreciated! If you have any input on any of the products i've gone with so far or suggestions for how else i should go about it please let me know! :wavey:
STORAGE/SLEEPING
The van came with basically a bare interior....just the penthouse popup and a plywood floor. My first step is going to be applying some insulation and a nice floor. I'm going with the foil-foam-foil insulation http://www.insulation4less.com/highr_FfmF.asp Not only does it help insulate but it provides sound dampening.
For flooring I knew carpet was out after getting muddy at Moab...carpet would be impossible to keep clean. So it was either laminate flooring or vinyl. I couldn't find any vinyl flooring i liked and when looking at costco's laminate flooring i noticed that their installation package included plastic coated foam to laydown under the laminate flooring. I had been a bit worried about putting the laminate flooring on top of the insulation i purchased but it looks like it should work out well....time will tell. I'm hoping this turns out to be a low cost, durable, and low maintenance floor.
I'm also working on putting together a couch that converts into a bed, this will be positioned behind the drivers seat. I wanted something that would be comfortable to lounge on and nice to sleep on when i don't feel like sleeping in the penthouse. For the mattress i'm looking at either going with a foam futon or making my own foam mattress out of regular foam and memory foam. I'll be covering it with a washable microfiber cover. Underneath the couch will also provide storage.
For additional storage I'll be putting in some cabinets after the couch and then on the otherside of the van i'll have additional cabinets, a sink, a fridge, and a microwave. I think i'll skip a permanent cooktop as i don't use them too much and i can always take a small camping one with me. I'm also trying to avoid propane but we'll see how that works out.
In the very back of the van i'll be building a small box on the floor for the fresh water tank and then on top of that will be free storage where i will keep my mountain bike.
For the sink and counter i'm looking at doing a solid surface setup but i still need to research it a bit further. http://www.royalstoneind.com/products_Sink.asp?showDetail=smallSingle
For the middle of night calls of nature I went with a Thetford Porta Potty 555. It's manual flush, didn't need electric and supposed to be one of the best porta potty's.
For a shower i'm going to make a portable one that i can setup in the hallway when using and store it when i'm not.
WATER SYSTEM
For the water system I've purchased black abs plastic vallterra tanks...the fresh water one is 30 gallons and baffled, the gray water tank is 9 gallons but not baffled. Both tanks will be mounted inside of the vehicle to help protect them from freezing. http://www.valterra.com/RV/fresh_water_tanks_and_accessorie.htm
For a water pump i went with the Aquajet ES. It was a bit pricier than i planned but is supposed to be a reliable, quiet, and fairly steady flow water pump. http://www.aquatec.com/rvpump.htm
Since water sources are never guaranteed I figured a water purifier would be important to have. For this one i went with http://doultonusa.com/HTML pages/ip100SC.htm They say it's for "For any water supply with no objectionable water odors other than sea water".
Now the more I thought about this I realized I needed gauges for the water tanks to see how full they were. In tank gauges apparently aren't super reliable so I went with the SeeLeveL II 709-PH. The sensors mount to the outside of the tank and with the monitor panel i can monitor 3 different water tanks, a propane tank, and the battery. It also has switches for the water pump and water heater. http://www.rvgauge.com/products/model_709PH.shtml
This is adding up fast :smilies27
STILL TO FIGURE OUT
Heating system and water heater -
Espar stuff is nice but I'd probably be looking at around $3000 just for the water heater and furnace not including what it would cost me to install it.
I've been trying to avoid propane and my vehicle is gas not diesel. For a furnace i've been considering just a small electric heater, they do use a lot of amps but i'm hoping if i can insulate the van enough i won't need tremendous use out of it, you can get one for like $50 that has a remote, timers, and auto thermostat.
For the water heater i've been looking at the an atwood marine 6 gal water heater. It functions as a heat exchanger with the engine coolant and also has an electric element. However like an electric furnace it is quite taxing on the electrical system. http://www.atwoodmobile.com/Products/marine/waterheaters.cfm
If electric just isn't going to workout i'll proably look further at propane or the espar setups.
ELECTRICAL
I really like the TrippLite RV2012UL. It's a 2000 watt inverter with a 3 stage battery charger. Should be able to pick it up for under $600.
Solar panels are in the future but probably not immediately so.
Generators, i'm looking at the 1000 or 2000 watt offerings from honda, yamaha, and kipor. I think it would be really cool to be able to add an electric start to it, not sure how much work that would be.
Batteries i'll probably go with lifeline agm batteries although i'm not sure on the size.
Fridge - probably somethign like this waeco http://www.waeco.com/en/253_1011.php?hirID=288&sprID=2&artOrigID=88 looking for around 3 cu ft capacity and a small freezer section.
OTHER
I'm getting the windows tinted in the morning for a bit more privacy and heat rejection.
I'll be making window shades out of relfectix or the same insulation i've used in the rest of the van.
I'll probably be switching out the 265/75r16 goodyear wranglers for 255/85r16 maxxis bighorns.
I'd like to add a box on the back of the van that i can carry the generator in and a couple gas can's. (think rear tire carrier setup)
Front 2" reciever hitch and multi mount winch system.
I have an air compressor that is basically a rebadged mv-50, i'll be working on a permanet mount for it and have it hooked up to like a 5 gallon tank that i'll probably mount underneath the van. I was thinking a remote on/off switch and pressure gauge mounted up front.
I have a tranny temp gauge and oil pressure gauge i need to install.
Carputer for navigation and other fun things.
New shocks, work on getting more articulation, possibly some sort of airbag setup to control suspension height. Maybe regear and an e-locker...right after i win powerball anyways lol
If you made it this far thanks for reading my ramblings! Pictures will follow as i progress with my upgrades.:friday:
This is a bit long but i'm definitely looking for peoples opinions...input is much appreciated! If you have any input on any of the products i've gone with so far or suggestions for how else i should go about it please let me know! :wavey:
STORAGE/SLEEPING
The van came with basically a bare interior....just the penthouse popup and a plywood floor. My first step is going to be applying some insulation and a nice floor. I'm going with the foil-foam-foil insulation http://www.insulation4less.com/highr_FfmF.asp Not only does it help insulate but it provides sound dampening.
For flooring I knew carpet was out after getting muddy at Moab...carpet would be impossible to keep clean. So it was either laminate flooring or vinyl. I couldn't find any vinyl flooring i liked and when looking at costco's laminate flooring i noticed that their installation package included plastic coated foam to laydown under the laminate flooring. I had been a bit worried about putting the laminate flooring on top of the insulation i purchased but it looks like it should work out well....time will tell. I'm hoping this turns out to be a low cost, durable, and low maintenance floor.
I'm also working on putting together a couch that converts into a bed, this will be positioned behind the drivers seat. I wanted something that would be comfortable to lounge on and nice to sleep on when i don't feel like sleeping in the penthouse. For the mattress i'm looking at either going with a foam futon or making my own foam mattress out of regular foam and memory foam. I'll be covering it with a washable microfiber cover. Underneath the couch will also provide storage.
For additional storage I'll be putting in some cabinets after the couch and then on the otherside of the van i'll have additional cabinets, a sink, a fridge, and a microwave. I think i'll skip a permanent cooktop as i don't use them too much and i can always take a small camping one with me. I'm also trying to avoid propane but we'll see how that works out.
In the very back of the van i'll be building a small box on the floor for the fresh water tank and then on top of that will be free storage where i will keep my mountain bike.
For the sink and counter i'm looking at doing a solid surface setup but i still need to research it a bit further. http://www.royalstoneind.com/products_Sink.asp?showDetail=smallSingle
For the middle of night calls of nature I went with a Thetford Porta Potty 555. It's manual flush, didn't need electric and supposed to be one of the best porta potty's.
For a shower i'm going to make a portable one that i can setup in the hallway when using and store it when i'm not.
WATER SYSTEM
For the water system I've purchased black abs plastic vallterra tanks...the fresh water one is 30 gallons and baffled, the gray water tank is 9 gallons but not baffled. Both tanks will be mounted inside of the vehicle to help protect them from freezing. http://www.valterra.com/RV/fresh_water_tanks_and_accessorie.htm
For a water pump i went with the Aquajet ES. It was a bit pricier than i planned but is supposed to be a reliable, quiet, and fairly steady flow water pump. http://www.aquatec.com/rvpump.htm
Since water sources are never guaranteed I figured a water purifier would be important to have. For this one i went with http://doultonusa.com/HTML pages/ip100SC.htm They say it's for "For any water supply with no objectionable water odors other than sea water".
Now the more I thought about this I realized I needed gauges for the water tanks to see how full they were. In tank gauges apparently aren't super reliable so I went with the SeeLeveL II 709-PH. The sensors mount to the outside of the tank and with the monitor panel i can monitor 3 different water tanks, a propane tank, and the battery. It also has switches for the water pump and water heater. http://www.rvgauge.com/products/model_709PH.shtml
This is adding up fast :smilies27
STILL TO FIGURE OUT
Heating system and water heater -
Espar stuff is nice but I'd probably be looking at around $3000 just for the water heater and furnace not including what it would cost me to install it.
I've been trying to avoid propane and my vehicle is gas not diesel. For a furnace i've been considering just a small electric heater, they do use a lot of amps but i'm hoping if i can insulate the van enough i won't need tremendous use out of it, you can get one for like $50 that has a remote, timers, and auto thermostat.
For the water heater i've been looking at the an atwood marine 6 gal water heater. It functions as a heat exchanger with the engine coolant and also has an electric element. However like an electric furnace it is quite taxing on the electrical system. http://www.atwoodmobile.com/Products/marine/waterheaters.cfm
If electric just isn't going to workout i'll proably look further at propane or the espar setups.
ELECTRICAL
I really like the TrippLite RV2012UL. It's a 2000 watt inverter with a 3 stage battery charger. Should be able to pick it up for under $600.
Solar panels are in the future but probably not immediately so.
Generators, i'm looking at the 1000 or 2000 watt offerings from honda, yamaha, and kipor. I think it would be really cool to be able to add an electric start to it, not sure how much work that would be.
Batteries i'll probably go with lifeline agm batteries although i'm not sure on the size.
Fridge - probably somethign like this waeco http://www.waeco.com/en/253_1011.php?hirID=288&sprID=2&artOrigID=88 looking for around 3 cu ft capacity and a small freezer section.
OTHER
I'm getting the windows tinted in the morning for a bit more privacy and heat rejection.
I'll be making window shades out of relfectix or the same insulation i've used in the rest of the van.
I'll probably be switching out the 265/75r16 goodyear wranglers for 255/85r16 maxxis bighorns.
I'd like to add a box on the back of the van that i can carry the generator in and a couple gas can's. (think rear tire carrier setup)
Front 2" reciever hitch and multi mount winch system.
I have an air compressor that is basically a rebadged mv-50, i'll be working on a permanet mount for it and have it hooked up to like a 5 gallon tank that i'll probably mount underneath the van. I was thinking a remote on/off switch and pressure gauge mounted up front.
I have a tranny temp gauge and oil pressure gauge i need to install.
Carputer for navigation and other fun things.
New shocks, work on getting more articulation, possibly some sort of airbag setup to control suspension height. Maybe regear and an e-locker...right after i win powerball anyways lol
If you made it this far thanks for reading my ramblings! Pictures will follow as i progress with my upgrades.:friday:
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